


If you wanna dance, then dance with me

by lazyphannie



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23457391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazyphannie/pseuds/lazyphannie
Summary: Phil is Dan's best friend, he hopes that'll never change. But their relationship seems to shift as they begin to slow dance each night, the movement bringing them closer and Dan doesn't know what will happen with their friendship
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this has literally taken me way too long and it's probably not exactly what the prompt asked for but I do hope you like it. as always, If you wanna pop on over to my tumblr [alazyphannie](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/alazyphannie) i have a feeling I'll be doing more shit on there

The air feels all tingly.

That sounds weird but it’s what he’s thinking. 

Whenever his leg brushes Phil’s it’s tingly, but so are his hands so it must just be the air. 

Or maybe it’s the wine. Yeah, that’d do it. The wine is making the air feel tingly, and he’s had a lot to drink but he feels good and happy and warm and so the tingly air is exactly what air should feel like.

The tv’s on. Playing some stupid movie that neither of them really care about watching and they’ve both got a full wine glass but the bottle they started with is nearly empty. Dan’s been paying attention to what’s going on onscreen, but Phil’s looking at his phone and normally it would annoy him because it means he can’t talk about the things they’re watching without Phil looking confused, but tonight the wines making him less bothered.

It’s a romantic movie. Because that’s what they felt like watching, with some sappy love shit going on and fighting and someone’s best friend getting in the way. Dan hopes that would never happen with him and Phil. If they ever found they liked the same person they wouldn’t try and backstab the other. But then he can’t actually imagine either one of them wanting anyone really. They’re pretty settled in this relationship of being everything to each other but in a platonic sorta way and it’s weird to think that a third party could ever get involved in it. 

Phil chuckles and Dan realises he actually is watching the film because his phones been put down and someone on the screen just got some sort of liquid tipped over them. It’s nice to just sit there and do this with each other. Wind down from their busy week and get a little tipsy.

He’s feeling tired. And his eyes hurt from keeping them open. His head is leaning against the back of the couch but he shuffles down so it’s lying against the armrest and his body curls up. His wine glass gets placed on the floor and he’s still awake. He’s really truely still awake. He can hear the sounds from the tv and Phil’s quiet breathing. The sounds go in and out of focus until he can’t really hear them anymore.

“Dan,” Phil says and Dan’s body jerks up. Okay, so he wasn’t really awake.

Phil looks over at him and laughs. Probably because he’s got a bit of drool hanging from his mouth. Or maybe its cause he looks so startled. Either way, Phil's laughing at him and Dan can’t help but smile because making Phil laugh gives his stomach this weird feeling that hasn’t gone away. Even after 5 years. 

“They're slow dancing,” Phil says when he's calmed a little. There’s still a look of amusement in his eye, but it’s not bursting out via his mouth anymore. 

It takes Dan a while to catch onto what he’s talking about because his brain’s still completely out of it and he’s just waking up, but Phil nudges his head towards the screen, and Dan notices that the movies been paused. The two main characters on the screen are clearly having a moment because they're pressed up against one another at some type of ball thing and the girl looks like she's shitting bricks. He probably would be too if he had to stand that close to a guy with a face shaped by the gods themselves. 

“Nice.” he doesn’t really know what Phil wants him to say. They're slow dancing. Cool. 

Phil stands up, leaving the movie on pause and dramatically flings his hand out towards Dan. “My good sir, will you too, slow dance with me?” 

Dan snorts. Phil looks ridiculous, knelt down in what looks like an insanely uncomfortable position. His head bowed slightly, and very clearly drunk. He glances his eyes towards the wine bottle and notices that it is now empty, just to prove himself right. 

“Alright, but you're leading dude. That way it’s your fault if we suck.” 

He stands up, his legs stumbling over each other, and he reaches for Phil’s hand with absolutely no grace whatsoever. Phil’s smiling so hard he looks like his face is about to crack in half, and Dan’s got that same feeling in his stomach. He’s not as tispy as he was before he slept but there’s still that remaining buzz. 

Phil’s pulls him in by grabbing his waist, and Dan wraps his arms around his neck. They’re not that close together, but it’s fine. This isn’t a weird romantic moment they’re having like the one in the movie, this is just Dan and Phil being Dan and Phil, and he realises just how much he loves this life. 

They start to sing some tune that he doesn’t even understand. Random notes that don’t sound like anything together. Both of them not even remotely trying to do the same one, just a jumble of weird humming sounds that keep making them laugh. Phil’s swaying violently, pulling Dan along with him. And they get very close to dying by tripping over the coffee table one-too-many times. 

“This is so romantic,” Dan gasps out. Completely out of breath. This is probably equivalent to some strenuous exercise with the amount of fast movement. 

Phil throws his head back and laughs some more. “They should have just had us for their romantic scene,” he says, nodding his head towards the TV to indicate he means the director of that film. 

Dan can almost imagine it. Them being in some fancy-ass ballroom, dancing around like lunatics whilst everyone else looks at them with judgemental stares. There’d be some old lady fainting in the corner due to the scandal of it. He snorts. 

His feet begin to ache from all the movement, but he doesn't actually want to stop so instead he slows a little. Dragging Phil back with him until they're just swaying in the same spot. 

He rests his head against Phil’s shoulder, humming more quietly, and Phil leans closer into him too. Phil’s probably still intoxicated. And he’ll probably wake up with a head that pounds just a little bit more than usual. But they’re not chaotically dancing anymore so no more damage can be inflicted. 

In the end they're just standing there. In the middle of the living room, sharing what is most likely just a super long hug, but feels closer. Like his hearts connected to Phil’s, and it's no longer pounding in his chest. He’s at peace, and he’s happy, and he’s more tired now than he was before. 

They pull away eventually. Phil yawning loudly in his ear making Dan pull back and laugh before stifling his own one. “Bedtime?” Phil asks, his eyes drooping and Dan drags him towards the bathroom so they can brush their teeth. 

Foam is spit into the sink, and whilst Phil’s lathering his moisturizer, which Dan finds a little ridiculous, onto his face, he remembers the dishes they left on the coffee table. And the tv’s still on. 

He manages to tidy up a little. Still pretty dead on his feet. Dumping the plates from dinner next to the sink, and straightening the blanket and cushions on the sofa so it doesn’t look too much like a dump. He also wants to give Phil some privacy in order to pee before going back to the bathroom to drag him towards his room. It’s weird but he’s feeling clingy and he sort of doesn’t want to be by himself just yet. 

Phil walks past the living room, and Dan pulls him against his side before opening his bedroom door and placing Phil on the bed. He removes Phil’s socks, and lets him take off his own jeans and top, before telling him to get into bed. 

He watches Phil’s face as he lies down, snuggling back into the pillow and closing his eyes. Dan tugs the duvet up over his torso, and just sits there for a little bit. Phil’s basically gone straight to sleep, with the little puffy breathes flowing from his mouth and his face lacking any sort of emotional stress that he carries during the day.

Dan strokes a small strand of hair from out of Phil’s face and tucks it behind his ear before standing up and turning off the lights.

His own bed feels cold. Like the duvet had been placed in the freezer and then put back over him. And he’s not actually tired anymore. Just mentally exhausted. His brain’s still active though. As much as he wishes it would shut off, it keeps going. Processing everything that happened during the day. He keeps thinking about dancing with Phil. Almost fixated on it. Like it’s circling round and round and round and round. Just them.

Them dancing.

He pictures them swaying like that all night. Not realising it's morning until the sun peaks through that small crack in the blinds, and the people outside wake up and start talking and walking to work. He transports this image of them in their living room to the scene from the movie. Where there’s no one but them in that great big hall. Barefoot and laughing like nothing could ever bother them ever again. 

He drifts off after awhile. The thoughts of him and Phil still imprinted in his mind. 

Such a good evening.

His alarm clock blares loudly. It takes him awhile to fully process what it means but once he does he rolls over and covers his head with his pillow. The sound coming from his phone, annoying enough to make him want to throw it. He actually did that once. And Phil, the good friend that he is, had burst into Dan’s room nearly butt naked weilding a book, thinking he was being attacked. 

Now he simply reaches out for it in order to turn the thing off, before trying very hard not to fall back asleep. 

He fails. 

Dan wakes up confused as to why there’s sun in his room and a knocking on the door.

“Dan,” Phil says gently. His voice muffled by the wood of the door. “Hey Dan, are you awake? It’s nearly noon.”

He groans, “I'm awake.” Phil knocks at the door again. Still gentle as ever. “I’m awake,” he sits up this time and says. He doesn't really feel tired anymore, just groggy and gross. That feeling you get when you sleep for way too long, and you don't actually want to sleep anymore. You just don't want to get up. It’s kind of a laziness towards living.

Phil pushes the door open slightly, popping his head round the side. “You're decent right?” he asks, and Dan laughs.

“Yes, Phil, I’m decent.” 

Phil walks over to him, a mug in his hand that has something hot in it. He also has panadol. Dan’s heart swells at the fact Phil thought to bring him some. 

“Thought you might need this if you had as bad a head as I did this morning.”

Dan doesn’t actually feel that hungover, but he takes them anyway. The coffee helps wash down the medicine. Still hot so that when it trickles down his throat he can feel it sitting in his stomach. It’s a good temperature, and he’s beginning to feel way better than he did. 

Phil’s just standing there, so Dan motions for him to hop into his bed with a little head nod. Phil clambers in easily, shuffling over to Dan so that they can pull the covers up.

He’s still in his pajamas. The bright pattern is god-awful to look at, but it’s too Phil to really care all that much about. And he has his glasses on. He looks soft. Dan wishes that he could lean his head against his shoulder without second guessing himself. Phil probably wouldn’t mind. In fact, Phil loves a good cuddle just as much as Dan does. It would just be a little stiff at first. And he doesn’t want Phil to think it means anything. Not that he would. But he could. And Dan knows it wouldn’t mean anything because Phil’s his best friend. The one person who makes him feel safe and loved. But it’s not in a romantic way. Because Phil’s his best friend. His best friend. 

By now, Dan’s finished his coffee. And Phil’s sitting there with his head tilted back so it leans against the headboard. Dan could do it so easily. He wants to. Just place his head right there on Phil’s shoulder which is so perfectly positioned facing towards Dan that it looks like it could have been done on purpose. 

He moves. Cautiously. So cautiously that it takes him awhile to even reach Phil’s shoulder. He places his head there, trying his best to not bring Phil’s shoulder down with the weight of him. It feels stiff and unnatural until Phil shuffles closer to Dan and places his hand on Dan’s neck in order to pull him closer. Dan follows it, putting all his weight onto him. He lets out a breath he didn't even really realise he was holding. 

They stay there for awhile. Just breathing quietly.

“What are we doing today?” Dan asks. The coffees making him begin to feel restless now, and he almost wishes he hadn’t drunk it, just so he could stay with Phil. 

Phil moves his shoulder, and he falls off it, but instead of mopping he gets out of bed. Not caring that he’s wearing nothing but his underwear. They've lived together for too long to have avoided seeing the other naked from time to time. 

“We’re out of milk and bread so I thought I'd nip to Tesco to buy some stuff. And you’ve gotta write up that script if youre feeling up to it.” 

Dan is actually feeling up to it. He’s got a some-what solid plan in his head of his video, and if he can write it all down then that's one thing off the ‘to do list’. And he wants to go with Phil to Tesco, and maybe choose some nice cobs to make some sandwiches with. He also wouldn’t mind buying a pack of crisps, because he's pretty sure when Phil says they're out of milk and bread he means they're out of everything. 

Their day is a good one. Dan’s mostly satisfied with the way his script is going. He knows where he needs to tweak it, and now it doesn’t feel like so much pressure placed on his chest, as he can actually see how it will work out. Phil seems happy too. He was left to answer emails and brainstorm ideas for the gaming channel. He’s got a solid list going when Dan asks him if putting on music will be distracting. 

Phil shakes his head, and Dan pulls up the playlist he’s been listening to on repeat as of late. 

He’s got a glass of ribena, an outfit on that he deems people worthy, and a feeling in his stomach like somethings about to happen.

They both stay there for about two and a half songs before Phil exhales loudly, and stretches his arms out over his head. The sigh had caught Dan’s attention from where he’d been scrolling through his socials on his laptop, and he’d managed to look over at Phil just as the movement caused his t-shirt to ride up and reveal a slither of his chest. 

Phil just flips the notebook closed, drags his body up from sitting on the floor and leaves the room. Dan watches him go. It isn't a weird thing to do, it was just his eye being drawn to the movement. But he’s still staring at the door when Phil reappears minutes later. His hair looks like he’s done nothing but run his hand through it whilst he was gone, and he’s no longer wearing jeans. Just some old joggers. All comfortable like. He smiles at Dan, and Dan smiles back before Phil damn-nearly leaps onto the sofa. Dan squeals loudly at how close Phil comes to landing on him, and Phil’s fully cackling. His face cracked in half, and his tongue poking out from his mouth. Dan glares at him. Trying his absolute hardest not to start laughing too. 

He fails pretty quickly. Disappointed in his lack of control over his body. He doesn’t actually care though. 

“This sofa is not a fucking trampoline,” Dan says. Although it takes awhile to get out with the amount he’s laughing. 

That only makes Phil laugh more. “Well then we should get a trampoline.” 

Dan rolls his eyes. This guy. 

“Where would we even put a trampoline?” he asks. Still trying his hardest to compose his face. They've been cackling at Phil’s stunt for so long that his stomach aches so bad. Like full on cramps. And he’s nearly certain that being with Phil will eventually give him abs from the amount they end up laughing.

Phil stands up and Dan watches him walk over to where their dining table is. “Well,” Phil pauses before continuing his sentence. His hand extended with his thumb out like he’s taking proportions for a drawing. “If we got rid of the dining table we’d probably have room.” 

Dan can’t help himself. He lets out another loud laugh and Phil’s smiling to himself. They’re so fucking dumb. Who even has conversations like this.

He continues laughing, even as Phil leaps towards him again. 

They settle down eventually. With their breaths still heaving and hearts still pounding. Dan kept glancing over towards their dining table and losing it as he thought of what they’d do if there was actually a trampoline there. It had taken a while for him not to uncontrollably laugh when he pictured Phil’s look of glee as he imagined him bouncing up and down. 

Their ceilings were high, but not high enough for it to actually work seeing as they could already touch the ceilings by jumping. 

The music almost came down to match their mood as well. With it slowing. The soft melody the kind of music that could usually make Dan close his eyes and take another nap on the sofa. 

He looked over at Phil, who was actually looking close to sleep. He nudged his shoulder against his, and Phil looked over at him. A smile breaking across his face. 

“Wanna dance?” Dan asked. It wasn’t weird.

“Yeah,” Phil whispered, and they stood. 

It was nice. Again. With that same rhythm as yesterday making them sway gently back and forth. They had actual music this time to dance to which made it easier to keep in tune and avoid standing on the others foot. Phil still managed though and Dan swatted his arm playfully. 

Dan closed his eyes, and nestled his head against Phil shoulder when he heard him say, “we should do this every night.” 

They should. Dan thought. 

They should dance every night until the sun rises and the world wakes around them. Because as long as he’s with Phil, he could never want to fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is Dan's best friend, he hopes that'll never change. But their relationship seems to shift as they begin to slow dance each night, the movement bringing them closer and Dan doesn't know what will happen with their friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay my bad. quarantines messing with my dates and I thought it was Saturday so yikes. here's a new chapter. as usual, if you wanna pop on over to my tumblr [alazyphannie](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/alazyphannie) i have a feeling I'll be doing more shit on there

It was a couple nights later when they had their next little evening in. 

The one after their second slow dance Phil had gone out to dinner with his brother and his brothers girlfriend, and so Dan had found himself alone and using that time wisely. 

The night after that one, Dan had been way too tired after going to see his therapist, that even thinking about staying up past 9 was exhausting. That was unusual, but the session had been a difficult one, and he didn’t want to talk to Phil about it just yet. So he’d gotten home and holed himself up in his room. 

Phil had brought him some dinner and a tea, with a small knock on the door and a smile, but that was it. Dan couldn’t really bare to do much else except nod at the gesture, but Phil knew him well enough that he didn’t ask.

But now they were sat on their couch again. Knees knocking and feet on the coffee table. Dan had a massive slice of pizza in his lap. Phil had complained that it was unfair that Dan got the best piece whilst he was stuck with that little shrimp of a slice but Dan had just chuckled and licked a massive stripe across it. Ensuring that Phil wouldn’t touch it. 

Phil didn’t whine for long. Instead he jumped right into making fun of Dan for getting sauce on his face. He’d tried to wipe it off with his napkin, but missed the spot according to Phil, and just as he was gonna try again, Phil reached across and brushed his thumb above Dan’s lip. Collecting the sauce on his thumb. 

He didn’t lick it off in a seductive way like he might have if this was that gross romantic movie they had watched, instead he just wiped it back onto his own napkin. But the gesture froze Dan. That wasn’t a normal thing. They’d been friends for so long that they were comfortable with touching and hugging and everything that normal friends did. But Phil had never actually touched Dan’s lip before. 

Phil didn’t seem to even notice Dan’s mental blockage. Instead continuing on with the story he was telling him about what he’d done with Martyn the other night, but Dan wasn’t paying attention. He was thinking. Thinking real hard about the dynamic they were in at the moment, and if he was completely insane for thinking it was changing. Or if it was just him overthinking everything. But what if something had changed. What would he do about that? Could he like Phil as more than a friend-

“Dan?” 

Dan blinked up. Phil was giving him an odd look. Like Dan had a mushroom growing out of his forehead. 

“Huh?” Dan asked. Trying to shake off the weird energy that surrounded him that Phil had suddenly tuned into. 

“You doing alright there?” Phil asked. He seemed concerned and Dan wasn’t surprised. Maybe Phil just thought this was something from yesterday coming back to him.

Dan smiled as convincingly as possible. “Yeah, no, I’m fine. Just had a weird moment then.”

That seemed enough for Phil, and he continued on with his story. This time Dan was actually listening though.

It was getting late. Close to 12, and yet Dan still felt so weirdly energised. He knew sleep would be impossible then, even as Phil began to stand up. About to excuse himself for bed. 

“We should dance,” Dan blurted. He didn’t really want Phil to go to bed yet as he knew if he did he’d have to stalk around the house in the dark, looking for something to do. Videos games weren’t appealing right now, and neither was tumblr. He just wanted to keep hanging with Phil. 

Phil chuckled. He was familiar enough with Dan’s sudden outburst of thought that just seemingly popped into thin air without him giving Phil any kind of warning to them, that he could roll with them and not get too lost. “Alright then.”

He extended his hand for Dan to grab in order to pull him up. They both heaved but in a funny sort of way, and Phil pretended like it was the most strenuous exercise he’d ever had to have done. Bending over and exaggerating his breathing when Dan was also upright. 

Dan could have made a joke about how it was the only exercise he’d ever done, but he sort of wanted to back away from the atmosphere they were finding themselves lean into. He wanted something different from their normal back-and-forth banter. He wanted something slower.

He wrapped his arms around Phil’s neck, making sure to rest against him comfortably. Like an embrace. Phil’s arms came strong around his waist. Pulling him against his body in a way that was comforting. He felt safe. His head bent so it lay in the crook of Phil’s neck, and Phil hummed quietly. A slow, soft sound that drizzled like honey into Dan’s brain. 

He let out a breath of air that felt like it had been trapped in his chest for weeks and weeks. He didn’t want to let go.

Phil’s humming slowed and stopped. “You okay at the moment,” he asked Dan. His voice still soft and quiet. 

Dan nodded. He wasn’t sure if it was the right answer, but he didn’t actually know what would be. 

Phil pulled him tighter. “I’m still here for you.” Dan smiled. “I will be forever.”

It took a lot to subdue the torrent of emotions that swelled towards his chest. Trying it’s best to escape his eyes and throat. Instead it clogged there. He could feel it sitting right at the back, nestled into his vocal cords, and he hoped Phil didn’t ask him another question because he couldn’t talk now, even if he wanted to. 

Phil didn’t. Instead they just kept swaying. 

Swaying until Dan’s eyes closed, and his body felt numb. And Phil helped drag him towards his room, where he laid him down on the bed and tucked his covers up over his body.

The dancing became a routine of theirs. Every night after they ate dinner they’d sit on the couch and wait until the other suggested. Dan had made a playlist filled with songs that were the right amount of slow to let them talk and dance in a way that made it easy to be lulled to sleep. Every now and again he’d notice a new song added to it and just know that Phil had put it there. 

It had been weeks since this had all began, and people were beginning to notice how much closer he and Phil were now. A few of their friends had commented on the way they finished each others sentences far more often than they used to. They were just more comfortable. Not that they hadn't been before, but it felt easier to talk about anything this way. Up close, with arms wrapped around the other. The gentle sounds of breathing and beating hearts. Dan had considered asking if they could string some fairy lights up over the window in the lounge so that the lighting too could be softer, but he couldn't bring himself to bring it up. It was almost like this thing they did wasn't real during the day. Neither of them acknowledged it unless it was through spotify. 

Instead he started lighting candles during dinner. They had so many of them that they casted enough light to make out the soft creases in the corners of Phil’s eyes. Or the tiny freckles that playfully jumped their way up Phil’s arm when he held his hands. He liked Phil’s hair. And how he could make out bits of brown by his roots. He hadn’t dyed it in awhile and it was a gentle reminder to Dan that they hadn’t known each other all their lives. Even if it did feel like it.

Their audience was beginning to notice a change in their behavior as well. Dan would catch himself leaning into Phil without even noticing. Phil did it as well. Bumping his shoulder into Dan. Grabbing his hand. Touching his face. It was easy. He couldn’t even imagine going back to before. Where the most they’d done was hug each other, or wrap an arm around the others back briefly for photos or comfort. 

Dan made his excuses to himself as to why he enjoyed this time so much. It was good exercise. He could feel it improving his balance. It definitely was improving Phil’s balance. Phil liked it and so Dan was being a good friend by indulging him. Eventually the excuses got thinner. More revealing, and closer to reality as Dan tried to reason with himself that the thoughts he kept thinking were normal, and allowed. He was touch starved. He just enjoyed a good hug. Phil was warm. Phil was soft. Phil smelt nice. It was easy to pretend that he didn't obsess over this routine of theirs all the bloody time, probably. Easier to pretend that Phil hadn’t begun creeping into his thoughts even when they weren’t dancing. Or that some of the thoughts of Phil weren’t just about dancing. 

That part wasn’t as easy to ignore. But he was getting really good at the excuses part and so as long as he kept making them, he could also keep avoiding letting himself think too closely into other things. 

Currently he was creating a whole ton of excuses whilst his hand gripped his dick, and his eyes shut. His trousers had fallen down around his ankles, and his feet had planted themselves on his bed. His head pressing into his pillow, and his other hand brushing up his chest. He hadn’t realised he was pretending that hand belonged to someone else until he pictured that someone else’s lips pressing themselves where his fingers pressed a little harder on his stomach. He hadn’t realised that he was imagining gripping at black silky hair, as that hand made its way up towards his nipples. He hadn’t noticed that the someone else he kept wanting to think about was probably on the other side of this wall. 

When he did realise, he groaned. 

There was a long moment in his mind. A battle which tugged between continuing, picturing Phil. Plattering up more excuses after he’d come his brains out with a large side of feeling like the worst friend ever. Or stopping and looking up some porn video where the woman gags on the man’s dick and he pretends he really would like to be that man. Then have a less than mind blowing orgasm that leads to him feeling gross, and mostly just tired, as he makes up more excuses and tries to ignore what all led up to this moment. 

It takes very little for him to toss both those options away, take off his pants that still hung around his feet, turn the light off and just go to bed. His erection still hard, but the panic building up inside his chest outweighing it drastically. All he could really do was hope that when he woke in the morning he’ll have forgotten literally everything about this moment. 

He sleeps surprisingly well. Waking up and wanting to get up. His bladder’s full, and he sort of hops through the house desperately trying to get to the bathroom, but relieving himself only makes the morning feel better. He feels alert. 

Sadly his plan to forget the previous night did not work out so well, so he decided to have a shower, and then cook some pancakes for breakfast. A nice surprise that Phil could wake up to that would almost be like an apology from Dan, saying “sorry I nearly wanked to the thought of you”. Obviously Phil won’t actually know that part. 

Phil waddles into the kitchen about half an hour after Dan’s started cooking. His glasses perched along his nose, his eyes crusty and his hair a mess. Dan only really registers he’s staring when the smell of burning pancakes runs underneath his nose. 

“Morning,” Phil says, as he steps closer. Watching Dan whilst he dumps the ruined pancake into the bin. 

Dan’s hurrying back over to the stove top, trying not to look Phil in the eyes. Knowing that if he does Phil will do his weird voodoo magic thing and read everything Dan’s thinking about right now. He mumbles back a morning. 

Phil’s leaning against the countertop, his hair’s a little neater when Dan looks at him again. He probably just ran his fingers through it a couple times. “Would you wanna go put on the tv?” he starts, “These are nearly done, and then I’ll bring them through.” 

The pancakes are inhaled like air, and even though Dan probably made enough to feed a small army, there's only pools of lemon juice and a splatter of batter that got stuck to the stovetop by the time they’re finished. Phil offers to wash up which he never ever does, and Dan teases him relentlessly for it. However, Phil had teased Dan for the noise he made when he took his first bite of the lemon and sugar drenched god-like creation so it was only really fair. 

“I’m literally surprised I am able to move, my body’s so stuffed with sugar.” 

Phil snorted as he’d followed Dan back into the kitchen at the comment. “I’m already made out of sugar, so it doesn’t affect me anymore.”

Dan looked back over his shoulder, giving Phil an eye roll. Making sure that the gesture would make Phil laugh again. He did.

“Thank you, by the way.”

“For what?” Dan asked, dumping his plate next to the sink and hoisting his body up so he was sitting on the counter. Phil was sticking to his promise of doing the dishes, as he filled up the sink, squirting the washing liquid a little too zealously. Bubbles emerging from the running water as soon as it hit the bowl.

“For making breakfast.” 

Dan shrugged and smiled stiffly. Remembering exactly why he had felt the need to cook this morning. “Yeah, uh.” He laughed. “No problem.” 

Dan was lying, legs stretched across his bed length wise, with his torso against the mattress and his laptop in front of his face. His headphones were plugged in and he hadn’t heard Phil’s knocking at the door until he’d already walked in. 

The moment he realised, his laptop lid slammed shut. Phil was placing a pile of his laundry on his chair but jumped a little at the sudden movement. 

“What were you watching?” he laughed, clutching his heart a little. Probably still a little shaken from the sound. Dan’s face was beet red. 

“Nothing,” he said.

Phil climbed onto the bed, attempting to pull his laptop from Dan’s grip, but Dan shoved it under his chest. Protecting the video from Phil’s view. Phil pouted a little, and let go. Climbing off the bed like he was giving up before jumping right back in order to tickle Dan's side. 

Dan was heaving, rolling around trying desperately to get Phil to stop. His eyes were watering in that way you do when you laugh so hard you start crying, and his breathing was so ragged he barely even noticed that Phil had managed to slide one hand underneath his front and grab the laptop. Only realising when Phil pulled away with a leap and ran back down the hall. Doing a little squeal of delight at his success. 

“No, Phil, please,” he yelled, running after him as soon as he’d caught his breath. Managing to get to Phil as he was in the lounge on the sofa. Laptop open and typing Dan’s password in. 

His heart was pounding and the laptop screen filled with the youtube website, a video on the page that displayed a couple waltzing. The video tilted as “A guide to the waltz, for beginners”. 

Phil turned his head to look at Dan, his expression searching for something. Dan didn’t know what. He turned back to the video, pressing play. The woman's accent posh and clear, projected through his speaker. Phil paused it. “Why’d you close the screen?” he asked Dan. Dan wanted to hide.

“It, I,” he tried again. “I don’t know. Thought it was embarrassing.” 

Phil shuffled along the couch, clearly creating room for Dan to sit next to him. His feet didn’t stretch out and land on the coffee table like they normally might, and his back was straightened. Dan’s laptop got placed with it’s lid closed next to him. “Sorry for stealing your laptop,” he looked at Dan. He huffed out a laugh, filling the silence. “I really thought it was some furry porn.” 

Dan smiled. He couldn’t help it. An instant reaction that was his people pleasing instincts. Phil had made a joke, so he smiled. The smile crashed though as he went back to overthinking fucking everything. Phil’s face masking whatever signs Dan should have been able to understand. Sometimes Phil annoyed him so much with the way he just shut off all emotions. Expression unreadable, and it made Dan feel helpless. He still wasn’t sure if it was just him or if there was something funny in the air that made him not want to sit next to Phil right now, like a reversed magnet. But he tried his best to ignore it, climbing on the couch and picking his laptop up. It got placed on the floor next to his feet, and shoved Phil’s shoulder a little. The energy inside him needing to be transferred somewhere that wasn’t just his head. Phil laughed too. That wasn’t a real laugh either. 

They sat there for a while. The sun had begun to filter in through the window as it set. An orange glow casting itself onto the wall behind them. Dan’s eyes closed and he let it wash over him. He could still feel his heart pounding heavily in his chest. 

When he reopened his eyes, he looked over. Phil’s eyes were shut and as his heart calmed down so did his brain. Phil hadn’t been mad. Phil probably hadn’t been weird. Maybe Dan had just imagined the tension. 

He swallowed the lump in his throat. The tension left in his body. “Are you sure I’m the one we have to worry about watching furry porn?” 

And Phil’s only reaction to that was to squawk like a bird. Obviously.


End file.
